Prime Minister Tareque Rahman has said that if everyone in society steps forward a little, even very large problems can be solved. Pledging government support for humanitarian and social initiatives, he said the government stands beside those who want to do this kind of work and will provide the necessary support.
He made the remarks Tuesday afternoon, August 18, 2026, at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Bangladesh Secretariat, at the launch of a program distributing 20,000 raincoats to tea garden workers in Sylhet division, funded through private-sector CSR contributions.
The prime minister personally handed raincoats to 10 tea workers and asked after their welfare. The initiative, launched by the Ministry of Social Welfare, aims to protect workers in the tea gardens of Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Habiganj districts from adverse weather and to create a safer working environment. A total of 20,000 raincoats will be distributed under the initiative: 10,000 from the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), 5,000 from Chevron Bangladesh, and 5,000 from Pandughar Group.
Private-sector representatives at the event said that, alongside their business activities, playing a responsible role in the welfare of disadvantaged and working people is part of the private sector’s social responsibility. They expressed interest in remaining involved in such initiatives in the future, in coordination with the government, to improve the living standards and working conditions of tea workers and other marginalized communities.
On behalf of the tea workers, gratitude was expressed to the prime minister, the government, and the organizations providing the raincoats. Tea workers present at the event included Shanti Uriya of Kalighat tea garden, Sreemangal, Moulvibazar; Munni Kurmi of Makraichhara tea garden; Jyotsna Akter of Bhaduara tea garden; Rina Tanti and Shashika Banerjee of Rajghat tea garden; Santuki Roy of Majdihi tea garden; Kabita Karmakar of Fulbari tea garden, Kamalganj; Sujata Biswas of Madhabpur tea garden; Rita Rani Bauri of Uttar Alinagar; and Afkhatun Nahar of Patrakhola tea garden. Santuki Roy of Majdihi tea garden presented the prime minister with a gift of tea leaves on behalf of the tea workers.
Also present at the event were Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain, Commerce, Industries and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Social Welfare State Minister Farzana Sharmin, Sylhet-6 MP Emran Ahmed Chowdhury, Moulvibazar-1 MP Nasir Uddin Mithu, Moulvibazar-2 MP Md Shawkatul Islam, Moulvibazar-3 MP M Nasser Rahman, Moulvibazar-4 MP Haji Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, Habiganj-3 MP Md G K Gauhs, and Habiganj-4 MP S M Faisal.
Participating private-sector representatives included BAPI Senior Vice President and Unimed and Unihealth Managing Director Mosaddek Hossain; BAPI adviser and Square Pharmaceuticals Managing Director Tapan Chowdhury; BAPI executive member and SKF Pharmaceuticals Managing Director Simeen Rahman; BAPI Executive Director Md Saiful Islam; Chevron Bangladesh Corporate Affairs Director Md Imrul Kabir; Chevron Bangladesh Operations Director Ashiq Shehzad Rahman; Chevron Bangladesh Head of Community Engagement A K M Arif Akhtar; and Pandughar Group People and Corporate Affairs Chief Golam Habib.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report